Capillary flow in the geotechnical centrifuge
Lord AE
(Received 24 September 1997; accepted 4 June 1999)

Abstract
A “bundle of capillaries” approach is used to model unsaturated soils. Movement of fluid is approximated by employing a simple Poiseuille's capillary flow mathematical model. It is found that the centrifuge model flow time is 1/n² times that for the pertinent prototype flow time. Here model acceleration = n × acceleration of gravity (i.e.. a = ng). This result applies for:
1. Capillary rise at an arbitrary angle to be horizontal.
2. Horizontal capillary flow.
3. Downward capillary flow (infiltration) at an arbitrary angle.
4. Vertical drainage at an arbitrary angle.

Keywords:
capillary pressures, centrifuge, flow time, geotechnical centrifuge, radial acceleration, scale factor, soils

Paper ID: GTJ22404

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